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New Orleans International Beer Fest to bring craft brews and more to Champions Square

Beer

The New Orleans International Beer Festival is set for 2 to 6 p.m. March 22 in Champions Square. The festival boasts more than 150 craft beers along with live music, games, and beer classes.(Dinah Rogers, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune archive)
((Dinah Rogers, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune archive))

As spring festival season kicks off, local beer fans and friends can enjoy the outdoors by wandering a series of beer gardens with a mug ready for sampling dozens of craft brews.

The New Orleans International Beer Festival, set for 2 to 6 p.m. March 22, brings more than 150 beers from around the world to Champions Square at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The festival started in 2010 on the north shore, but in 2012 moved to Champions Square, where the event has flourished.

“Last year, it just blew wide open and sold out, and we had a great event,” said Jay Wilson with Alabama-based Red Mountain Entertainment, which puts on the festival in partnership with Mandeville-based Blue Deuce Entertainment.

Patrons receive a commemorative sampling mug and have access to unlimited, two-ounce samples from six beer gardens, including separate gardens devoted to imports, ciders, and cask beers.

A few notable brews to be on tap: Sweetwater Festival, Hitachino Sai-Sai IPA, Wasatch Ghostrider, Parish Ghost in the Machine, Samuel Adams Golden Yuzu, and New Belgium Summer Helles. For a list of participating breweries, visit the festival's website.

Through a lottery, 20 attendees can win the chance to sip Samuel Adams Utopias, a beer so rare that last year the entire state of Louisiana saw only six bottles of the brew, Wilson said.

“It’s a super-exclusive situation,” he said.

Though focused on beer, the festival offers an afternoon of well-rounded entertainment, Wilson said.

Participants can learn about Cooking with Beer, Beer Pairings, and more during seminars offered in the World of Sam Adams educational area. This year’s offerings include a new course on beer and cigar pairings. Seating is very limited, so Wilson highly recommends signing up in advance on the festival’s Facebook page.

“It was a hit last year,” Wilson said, and the winner takes home the cornhole set.

New this year is a “silent disco,” to be held beneath a tent overlooking the Square. Participants gear up with headphones and groove to music only they can hear.

“There are going to be a bunch of wacky people up there dancing -- and no music,” Wilson said.

Food and nonalcoholic drinks also will be available for purchase.

Tickets for this year’s festival are available in advance on the event’s website.

General admission is $40 and VIP tickets are $75 each. Among other perks, VIP attendees gain early entrance at 1 p.m. The festival also includes $20 general admission and $30 VIP options for designated drivers. If not sold out in advance, tickets also will be available at the door.

When asked about the likelihood of another sellout crowd, Wilson said, “It’s hard to judge what the public is going to do, but I’d like to think we have positive momentum.”

“I’d think there are lots of good vibes about the event,” he said.

For details on where to park, what you can bring inside, and similar topics, visit the festival website’s FAQ page.